Notable Religion
The following lists a number of the major or noteworthy religions found throughout the world. Serayanism Serayanism is the largest and most widespread religion in the world, though it is seen less frequently in New Voldrania than it is in the Old World. The religion is largely built around the story of a woman, Sera'Ya, who's death inspired the unification of all peoples to stand up against an oppressive warlord. One of the religions core beliefs is that all are equal, and all must play their part equally. Gender and racial barriers are practically nonexistent in Seryist cultures, though devout Seryists are often dismissive or outright bigoted towards those with physical or mental handicaps, for the reason that they "Can't pull their own weight". There are countless variations of Serayanism that have come into existence over time, though only a few have grown to the point of global recognition. All variations of Serayanism recognize the importance of Sera'Ya, and the existence of "The Father of the World", a deific figure responsible for the creation of the world. Additionally, Seryists believe in an afterlife for the good where one spends eternity with their loved ones and ancestors, whereas the wicked are simply wiped from existence. Lurvanian Orthodox Those who follow Lurvanian Orthodox make up a plurality of the religions entire population, and a majority in Voldrania and New Voldrania. Lurvanian Orthodox is largely synonymous with the basic principles of Serayanism as a whole, except for the one major difference that they have given the Nether a role as the antithesis of the Overworld, created by the villainous Demon who has long held a role as the enemy of The Father of the World. Because of these beliefs, followers of Lurvanian Orthodox tend to be wary of the Nether and mysticism as a whole. Travel to the Nether is strictly illegal in Lurvanian Orthodox dominated regions, though these restrictions were significantly loosened by followers of the faith in Voldrania. Interferism Interferism is a small faith that finds its roots in Serayanism, but is notably different both religiously and culturally. They believe in the Father of the World, but do not acknowledge him as the creator of all things. Instead he is merely a guardian of the natural, which Interferists choose to worship instead. They have a tendency to be extremely wary of magic or travel between realms, even moreso than those who follow Lurvanian Orthodox. "Extreme Interferism" is an even smaller offshoot that has all of the same core principles as Interferism, but passionately detests, and even fears, magic, intra-realm travel, and generally all thing supernatural. They tend to be more vocally against these things, and often isolate themselves to secluded regions where they feel they can safely avoid these "abominations of nature". Norvanian Doctrine Llysian Religion Veritionism‏‎ Asgan Netheranism Tarskovia Orthodox Hamalfite Religion Minor Religions There are countless religions throughout the world, and while some are only followed by a small handful, they are still worth mentioning. Divinity Divinity is a small, but rapidly growing, religion that began in Akarv following the Nether War in 74 AE. Disillusioned and questioning everything they believed, many Akarvians began to take to the religion as it fulfilled some answers that many felt didn't make sense with Serayanism, such as why the Father of the World would allow such tragedies to unfold. Those who follow the teachings of Divinity believe that there is only one God, who is no more than an overseer of the world. This God, however, has many "creations" who act as its guardians and liaisons throughout the world. Much of this information lines up with known facts, such as the existence of the Inversion, Serpent, and Keepers. Followers of Divinity believe in peaceful coexistence between all worlds, that none are "fated" to be one way or another. In a sense they largely believe in the natural evolution and free will of things, rather than a divine power defining the course of ones life. Additionally, they believe in an afterlife where their spirits and memories may rest eternally in the presence of their God, without the burdens of worry or demand. Shintani Void Worship As the name might suggest, Void Worship is the practice of worshiping the Void as a holy entity, similar to how the Nether is in many other religions. Void Worship is incredibly rare, and after the religions followers on the island of Athaki were slaughtered by Gary Gyravan the religion is believed to be "extinct". Cults Many religions, who some may consider "minor religions", or even "major religions", are considered by the world the be cults, and often follow the ideals or teachings of a single non-deific entity, such as a Nether Spirit, Void Lurker, or Keeper. Cult of Argoth Cult of Inversion The Cult of Inversion is a colloquial name for a quasi-religious group from the Old World that ascribes a religious role to the Inversion, a mythological creature that is said to be the "balance" between all realms. In reality the Cult of Inversion was more of a secret society than a proper religion, but allowed itself to earn the reputation of one in order to cover up its true agenda. The Cult of Inversion were responsible for organizing the Voldranian Exodus, and many of Voldrania's early leaders, such as Adam Akarvon, were members of the Cult. Cult of Netra Cult of Skargaroth Children of Darkness A small cult originating in Krolesk. The Children of Darkness believe that the universe was created by a primordial entity known only as "The Shadow," and everything that exists does so because The Shadow wills it. However, direct worship of The Shadow is forbidden. Instead, the Children of Darkness focus their worship on entities known as Shades. The oldest records from the cult state that when a human dies, their own shadow will disconnect itself from their body, and begin to make their way through a dimension known as The Daan'gai. After crossing through to the other side, The Shadow will alter the shadows of the fallen before sending them back to be reborn. However, not all shadows are able to cross to the other side of The Daan'gai, and simple roam aimlessly through the empty dimension for eternity. These lost beings are the Shades. Most cultists focus their practices on both honoring the shades, and training their own shadows in hopes of becoming shades themselves. This training eventually lead to the creation of Shade Magic. In modern times, the cult is found exclusively in Dalverad. It is very rare for cultists to be found outside of the cave city; out in the light. Kal'Kan Orthodox Kal'Kan Orthodox is often considered to be a "Cult of Mystics", as those who subscribe to the religion do not believe in dieties, but rather they seek to understand the divine meaning of all things, and their connections to one another. The religion is primarily followed on the Jarulian island of Kal'Kan. Renol Renol was a micro-religion/cult that worshiped a cat God by the name of Renol. It's largest following, as small as it was, was found in the Voldranian nation Hera, where the faith was led by extremist Undek Mag, who made Renol the official religion of the nation when he was elected to the nations top position of leadership. He was killed soon after, and Renol largely died with him. The Order The Order is the father cult of both the Cult of Argoth and the Cult of Netra, as well as the Silver Patriarch, and is defined by its deification of the Keeper Vilatro. Other A few other "religions", or in many cases non-religions, that are worth mentioning. Azure Lord A religion chiefly followed by the Brothers of Blue, a traveling monastery that hail primarily from Akarv. While they tend to spend a lot of time in Akarv, and tend to lend aid most often to former Primarian states, they have also been known to aid nations such as Skylyn with their charitable, creative, or political works. Because of how often they travel, the Brothers of Blue tend to take pieces of the cultures they visit and spread them around the world, especially local instruments. Neutrality Neutrality refers to a group of people who subscribe to the belief that while there may be a God, or Gods, it is not Humanity's place to question their existence or purpose. Humanity's goal is merely to live their own lives and make decisions based on something tangible, rather than stories or belief. They do not subscribe to any one particular religion, but due to their hesitation to outright deny the existence of a God they are often hounded by most major religions to "take a side". Non-belief Many people outright do not follow any religion, believe in any god, or believe in any way that organized religion is beneficial to the community or that their stories are true. These people often identify under the term "Non-Belief", implying that they follow no religion. While a large number of these people exist, the world as a whole is still mostly dominated by those who follow a particular faith. Zenotology Zenotology is the worship of the Zeno Stone, an artifact found beneath Skal that housed one of the fragments of the Nether Spirit Tethris. This was less of a religion or a cult than it was a forced worship by the Nether Spirit Xicci, who possessed the ability to mind control those who came in contact with the stone, forcing them to enthrall more into its grasp and reunite the other fragments. Category:New Voldrania Category:Voldrania Category:Old World Category:Nether Category:Religion Category:Notable Lists Category:Stub